At first blush, the EIZO ColorEdge CE240W appears to be one of the more expensive contenders in the 24-inch widescreen monitor market. Other 24-inch widescreens have plummeted in price, but the CE240W has held onto its high MSRP for a very good reason. As the cliche goes, you get what you pay for:  fantastic color management, a great warranty and 24-hour tech support.

Each CE240W is factory-adjusted for a precise gamma curve value of 2.2. Other gamma curves are available from the included software, which lets you choose the curve that suits your use. If you are a professional who works with color, the CE240W should be on your short list of displays to consider.

The CE240W utilizes an EIZO-designed ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit) that incorporates a 14-bit color processing system for smooth, accurate grayscale rendering. The added color depth provides excellent detail even in darker tones, where more conventional 8-bit processing tends to yield muddy details or crushed black levels. To complement the generous 14-bit color process, the CE240W provides independent six-channel color control, allowing you to adjust the hue and saturation levels of not only the primary colors (red, green and blue), but also the secondary colors (cyan, magenta and yellow).

An additional feature targeted directly at graphics professionals is the brightness management system, which stabilizes the CE240W's brightness within minutes of turning on or coming out of sleep mode. This feature also monitors ambient light levels and adjusts brightness accordingly, ensuring accurate white balance and color fidelity.

The CE240W mounts to EIZO's ArcSwing 2 stand, a somewhat unusual mechanism that adjusts height and tilt by gliding the display through an arc. We found this mechanism a little difficult to get used to, but once the display is set, you probably will rarely change the height or tilt.

Function buttons are conveniently located in the center of the bottom bezel. To help with the color management configuration, the CE240W package includes ColorNavigator, a simple OSD (onscreen display) navigation system that allows you to set the values for brightness, color temperature and gamma curve. ColorNavigator also works directly with some of the most popular color-calibration hardware, including ColorVision Spider and GretagMacbeth Eye-One, to directly control the display's 10-bit color lookup table for accurate color fidelity.

Operation is relatively straightforward. There are two DVI inputs to choose from, including a VGA-to-DVI adapter for older graphics cards, as well as a pair of USB ports. There aren't many external bells and whistles, as the CE240W's strengths lie in its superb color management and excellent LCD display panel.

If the price isn't out of reach, the EIZO ColorEdge CE240W 24-inch widescreen LCD monitor makes an excellent choice for color professionals working in print, video, CAD or photography.


Pros:  Excellent color control, bright images with good detail in blacks
Cons:  Unusual stand adjustment system, limited input options, expensive

Warranty
3 years LCD panel and backlight, 5 years all other components